Expat deported for drink driving

In the same week the Chinese government announced that drink driving may be listed as an offence under criminal law, it comes to light that an expat has been deported for being caught over the limit. At the moment, a person found driving whilst drunk, can face 15 days in detention and a fine. In cases where the person’s driving has resulted in deaths, it has been known for the death penalty to be used.

The proposed change is one of the amendments to the criminal law being considered this week by China’s top legislature. Others include dropping the death penaltyon 15 economic and non-violent crimes.

It appears there is a clear desire to robustly punish and deter drink driving. According to Shanghai Daily, Shanghai’s Exit-Entry Administration announced yesterday that a European manager working at a top hotel in the city had been deported for being drunk whilst riding his motorbike. Neither the identity nor nationality of the expat have been revealed, but he had lived in China for three years. He crashed his bike on his way home from a pub. He had to spend 10 days in detention and pay a 2,000 yuan (£190) fine before being deported. His driving licence has been suspended for six months. The newspaper report adds: “It will be difficult for him to return to China should he decide to apply for a visa in the future.”

It seems to be a clear warning from authorities that the law will come down heavily on everyone who breaks the law- foreigners included. Last month, a Turkish expat, believed to have been over the limit, was killed when he crashed into a taxi. He was said to be speeding. Indeed, it seems that even though many foreigners are subject to strict drink driving laws in their own countries, they are still inclined to break the rules in China. This may partly be put down to a perceived feeling of carte blanche on the part of foreigners, a belief that they are above the law and won’t be troubled by police. The perceived lawlessness of China’s drivers can also lull one into thinking that the traffic police have bigger problems on their hands than expats who have had one too many. This is a country, after all, where there has been a 5 percent increase in pedestrians being killed on crossings, because drivers simply won’t give way. Well you would be wrong.

Although it is rare for someone to be deported for driving whilst over the limit, the authorities say others could face a similar punishment. Expats should consider themselves warned.